Archives for January 2016

You go to the craft store in search of a crochet hook. You arrive at the “hook aisle” and suddenly you are faced with a dilemma. Who knew crochet hooks came in so many different shapes, sizes, and materials. Metal ones, wooden ones, straight handles, curved handles, skinny shafts, thick shafts, and some of them even light up! So which one should you choose?

All hooks are NOT created equal. It doesn’t take long for a beginning crocheter to figure this out. But what are the differences? I’m no hook designer or expert in the field, but I have been crocheting for close to 40 years and I can give you some observations and opinions from my many years of experience.

The pictures in the following examples are linked if you would like to take a closer look at the product or get pricing. Just click!

Aluminum Hooks

I have used many brands of steel/aluminum crochet hooks over the years, and I’ve developed some opinions about them. These are just my opinions, and you may feel differently about them. That’s okay. Perhaps that will generate a nice discussion in the comments.

I personally like the Boye name brand of aluminum crochet hooks. They are sturdy, unlike some brands that I’ve used, which bent and warped over time. I also like that Boye rounds the edges of the hook. Susan Bates brand are very similar, but they have a very sharp edge to the underside of the hook that would catch, split, and snag yarn as I worked, making life difficult and frustrating me. I finally got rid of nearly all my Bates hooks. I also like the color coding and the fact that Boye prints both the US “letter” size on the hook as well as the millimeter dimensions so that the conversion is right there. You don’t have to look it up if the pattern calls for a 3.75 mm hook.

Ergonomic Hooks

Are you looking for a more ergonomic option? A friend of mine loves these Addi Swing Hooks. She said it took her about a week or two to get used to the different shape of the handle and the resulting difference in the motion of her hand/wrist as she worked, however, once she adapted, the hook was much easier to use for long crochet sessions. If you are crocheting for more than an hour a day, or if your wrists are starting to feel the effects of repetitive motion, maybe an ergonomic hook is something you’ll want to consider.

Egg-Shaped Hooks

Finally, there are the egg-shaped hooks. They come in various forms, and various costs. During one particularly strenuous stretch of extensive crocheting, my wrist began to hurt very badly. I went out and bought an egg attachment for my aluminum hooks. The Boye hooks fit inside this egg and are secured with a washer. The egg greatly lessened the tension in my hand and wrist and allowed me to crochet for longer periods of time with less aches. I liked that it was an attachment so I had the option to use it or not. And I could still put my hooks away in my nice little carrying case, making them easy to store, unlike the permanent egg hooks or egg handles with hooks that screw into the egg.

So which one should you use? The one that feels right in your hand. No one can tell you which one that will be, because everyone crochets a little differently and has different needs. The only way to find out is to try some of the options. If you have a friend who crochets, maybe you can borrow a hook for a week or two and test drive it, so you don’t have to pay for it if you don’t like it. Regardless of which one you choose, I wish you …

I love to crochet, but there are times that crocheting becomes tedious or even a strain. Crocheting with very dark yarn, like navy blue or black, can make crocheting less than fun. The dark fibers of the yarn seem to absorb all the light and it becomes much harder to distinguish the individual stitches. I have trouble counting stitches with black yarn, or finding the right location to place my next stitch. Seems like I make more errors and have to rip out (frog) more of my work.

Because dark colors are harder to crochet with, I do not recommend that beginning crocheters use dark yarn for any project. You need to start with light to medium colors that are easy to see the individual stitches and work with those colors until you are comfortable with counting stitches and finding stitch placement. Only when a beginning crocheter is comfortable with all the basics should he or she attempt a very dark-colored project.

But let’s face it, we HAVE to use black yarn sometimes. I love a lacy black shawl, and I’ve made many purses in black. Who wouldn’t love a black doily or a black scarf to wear with your winter coat? Black is one of the best colors for accessories, so I am going there, eyestrain or not.

Over the years I have learned ways to make crocheting with dark yarn a little easier. Here’s a few tips to help your eyes cope with dark-yarn projects.

Good Lighting – When you sit down to crochet with a dark yarn, make sure that you are crocheting in a room with good lighting. If possible, place a lamp just behind you with light directed down over your shoulder and onto your work so you have a good amount of light bouncing off those dark fibers.

White Backdrop – This is a tip that my friend Pat taught me. She suggested that when crocheting with dark yarn, place a white pillowcase or towel on your lap behind your work. The white helps reflect the light onto the back of your work and it serves as an excellent contrast to your stitches. Don’t try to crochet with dark thread held against dark blue jeans or a dark blanket on your lap. Lighten up the background. I promise it helps.

Bright Stitch Markers – If you are really struggling to see stitches and keep counts in your dark yarn, try using bright stitch markers in key stitches.

With these three tips, you are going to make crocheting with dark yarn a whole lot easier. It still won’t be as easy on the eyes as a nice pink or a sage green, but you can get the job done without a visit to the optometrist! 🙂

Many times I pick up a pattern and rather than giving me a hook size that I’m familiar with — which here in America that is usually a letter A – N or a number for the smaller thread hooks ie. 00, 0, or 1 – 14 — sometimes, the pattern simply gives a metric number, such as 3.75 mm. I inevitably have to look up that measurement and figure out which of my hooks correlates with that millimeter size.

I used to get online every time I needed a conversion and look for a chart, then I finally got smart and downloaded a chart that I can keep on hand to reference quickly. I’ve made a chart for you to view here or download if you’d like to have one handy. Put it in your crochet basket with your current projects or in your pouch with your hooks so you never have to wonder which size hook you need again! I’ve included both USA and UK conversions.

Here’s the chart I made just for you.

Want to print it off and keep it? Just click the link to download a PDF that you can print off. You can open a PDF with Preview on a Mac (which comes pre-installed) or Adobe Reader on a PC which you can download for free if you don’t have it installed already.

Get this pattern free!

Easy to make! Fun to use! Perfect to give away as gifts! Those are my criteria for a good crochet project. I crochet for myself, the things I want to wear and use and enjoy in my life. And I have crocheted a LOT of stuff in my lifetime.

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